If you're brand new to printing you're probably excited to print all the things. However, you might have found that your prints aren't coming out as you'd expected or your having varying degrees of success with your students models or those found online.
You might have experienced a 3D print failing after just a few layers, or even worse printing spaghetti from the start.
The issue could very well be that you haven't added any supports when preparing and slicing your 3D prints.
Supports are an intrinsic part of 3D printing. Unless a model has been specifically designed to not need supports, you're going to have to use them.
The general rule of thumb for when a 3D print needs support is the 45 degree rule.
If there is an inclining angle of 45 degrees or more it will require a support, essentially a support is a scaffold like material which can be removed later.
How do I know where I should put the supports?
Typically the slicing software will add these for you if the support option is turned on. The slicing software will make the best estimation of how much and where supports are needed.
There are many settings related to supports and subtle things you will only learn from experimenting and trying different things on your 3D printing journey. For the most part however, default settings will go a long way and ensure the majority of your prints are successful. Also supports are handled differently depending on the slicing software you are using. If you are a Makers Empire customer you are likely using either Flashprint or some form of Orcaslicer. Please refer to the individual articles below for slicing tips.